UK: Deptford just got its own vertical farm

A new vertical farm has opened its doors in Deptford housed within a previously disused warehouse.

Tech startup Vertical Future has launched the new farm, which is both the company and Deptford’s first vertical farm, just months after the company was established and sealed a six-figure funding package from HSBC.

In what is the first of a number of planned farms operating under the MiniCrops brand, the farm has been developed as part of The Artworks’ new Creekside development and will provide the local community and businesses with sustainably grown fresh produce.

Founders of Vertical Future, Jamie and Marie-Alexandrine Burrows said in a statement that their planned network of London sites will do more than just provide crops and produce, but also provide community outreach and engagement projects to help tackle some of our most pressing urban problems.

They said: “We want to make cities a better place for our children, and our urban initiatives are long-term responses to the ongoing issues of urbanisation.”

“All signs following our launch have been positive and launching MiniCrops is our first real milestone as a new business.”

“We want to promote fast but sustainable growth that will make a real impact on our local communities around each site.”